It's STILL tough and not getting better - so how are we coping?

jediteacher

lilmisskitkat wrote: »

Kidcat - Thank you for the playdough recipe, i'll be trying that on a rainy a fternoon in the school hols!

Thank you for the welcomes, i wasn't sure if it'd be ok for me to post on here, like i said we haven't felt the pinch as much as some and DH's job is relativley safe but i didn't want people to think i was bragging or being smug

Tomorrow night DD is going to bake some chocolate chip cookies and put them in nice paper party bags (pretty polka dot ones in sale at Tesco, got them for DS's birthday, like a Millie's cookie bag) and make cards for her teacher and teaching assistant - you dont think this is cheap do you? I just thought that it'd be nice to receive something DD had done herself and they must get so many boxes of chocs etc and i haven't got the money to be buying anything fancy (a lot of mums turn it into a competition over who can get the best teacher present lol :rotfl:)

Kate xx

Speaking as a teacher myself it is gifts like these that are so extra special. As a teacher I much prefer something that the child has made and thought about - it makes it more personal. I bet your daughters teacher will be delighted with the gift.

jackieglasgow

lilac_lady wrote: »

I've come to the conclusion that the only way to stay solvent is to stay in!

I've come to the conclusion that the only way to stay waterproof and not waterlogged is to stay inside!!!

Larumbelle

littleowl wrote: »

I really think that people in the UK have been brainwashed into believing that the only way is to be a property owner - why?

Well... I think I agree to an extent. I can see lots of sensible reasons to buy property, but none to get yourselves into all kinds of trouble when you can ill afford it. It's not for me right now, anyway - when we analysed our reasons to own, given our financial circumstances, all they came down to was "because that's what society said we should do". Since when have I done as I'm told :rotfl: I'm being a little flippant, but only a little

Penelope_Penguin wrote: »

AFAIK, it's not that female wee is unsuitable, it's that men have more convenient plumbing I am still to persuade the chaps in my house to pee on the compost heap, but we will have a composting toilet when we move to our smallholding :T

Cool! I never knew that! We've doubled our supply then. As we have an old bucket that OH uses for modesty's sake and I could easily squ...:lipsrseal Hmm too much information... BTW I've heard that diluting 1 in 10 is a great fertiliser too!

365days

littleowl wrote: »

Please don't feel down about renting. I sold my property when I moved to France and paid off every single debt - I owe nothing to anybody now and will never again.
I learnt when I lived in France that most people rent - fewer buy. After all - what is the gain? Something to leave to our children? They should make their own ways in life and not depend on an inheritance.
I had to return to the UK for health reasons (but am planning to go back when possible). I found that house prices had risen here alarmingly and I was well out of the market. But, taking my French experience into consideration, I don't feel that renting a property is second best. After all - you do not have to pay for repairs and that is a huge consideration.
I really think that people in the UK have been brainwashed into believing that the only way is to be a property owner - why?
Surely the best way is to be free of debt - including mortgage debt - but too many people somehow don't see mortgage as a debt - that baffles me.
Feel happy with your situation and relieved that the huge amount owed on a mortgage is no longer yours.

Thanks for this post. I am in a quandry about what to do with my house. I don't like it (area) am only paying interest only (£250) a month so effectively renting anyway. Rental for the kind of thing I want would be around £650 here but as a single mum would get some help with the rental. I do have the mentality, reinforced by friends and family, that if I sell up now I will be off the property ladder for ever. But does it really matter? I have pondered this for a while now and still can't make up my mind. I have a bit of equity, could clear my debts, be more comfortable but I do worry about affording the rent when I'm older.....any wise heads want to advise?


And re; Men's wee and compost...I wonder if boy's wee works too. Sure my DS would find that little task kind of fun!

Finally-(like to get value out of my posts!) I was a teacher for years and the end of term present buying did get kind of silly! My DS has bought his teacher a bottle of chilli infused olive oil. (£1.29) It should be a token if anything at all. Teachers earn good money-I'm sure most would rather you spent your money on taking your kids out than lining their wine cellars!

littleowl

365days wrote: »

Thanks for this post. I am in a quandry about what to do with my house. I don't like it (area) am only paying interest only (£250) a month so effectively renting anyway. Rental for the kind of thing I want would be around £650 here but as a single mum would get some help with the rental. I do have the mentality, reinforced by friends and family, that if I sell up now I will be off the property ladder for ever. But does it really matter? I have pondered this for a while now and still can't make up my mind. I have a bit of equity, could clear my debts, be more comfortable but I do worry about affording the rent when I'm older.....any wise heads want to advise?


And re; Men's wee and compost...I wonder if boy's wee works too. Sure my DS would find that little task kind of fun!

Finally-(like to get value out of my posts!) I was a teacher for years and the end of term present buying did get kind of silly! My DS has bought his teacher a bottle of chilli infused olive oil. (£1.29) It should be a token if anything at all. Teachers earn good money-I'm sure most would rather you spent your money on taking your kids out than lining their wine cellars!

OK - does it really matter that you might be off the property ladder? Think about it - you said your friends and family are warning you that this would be a bad thing. Why would it be? That is what I meant about the British being brainwashed into believing ownership is all. After all - having a mortgage is renting from the bank or building society - you won't own the property for many years and when you do you will have to pay for upkeep which is never cheap - and for what? To leave to your descendants.
I think it is very hard for British people to get their heads around the idea that owning bricks and mortar is not necessarily the best thing one could do. It is far better to live within one's means, to be without debt and feel happier with no financial burden weighing you down every day.
Oh I know I will never convince everyone - or even anyone - but believe me, from experience I know which I prefer.

greengoblin

My placement is coming to an end and i'm on the job hunt again (this time for a paid placement!). I appear to have totally forgotten in 6 months how to write the "Why you should give me this job" part of the application form.

Money management has been quite frankly sh*te this month. Thank god for wonderful parents. Pay day tomorrow. Hatches will be battened. I'm raring to go at not spending money - haha
At least I got a tax rebate of £104 this month. Only made them aware of an error they made last year (emergency tax £60 on a £240 pay slip :eek:) and they checked through all my pay history and found I was owing £34 from 2 years ago! :j Straight back to my Nan though - paying back my car insurance. (It's so much cheaper to buy it all in one go but cause i'm still quite young its still a bomb and I never have £600 lying around. My Nan pays it in one go for me and I pay her back each month as much as I can spare, usually £100-£200). Hurrah for wonderfully supportive family. No way i'd be able to be following my chosen career path without their help.

HURRAH for family and friends who make dreams possible :A

ceridwen

365days wrote: »

Thanks for this post. I am in a quandry about what to do with my house. I don't like it (area) am only paying interest only (£250) a month so effectively renting anyway. Rental for the kind of thing I want would be around £650 here but as a single mum would get some help with the rental. I do have the mentality, reinforced by friends and family, that if I sell up now I will be off the property ladder for ever. But does it really matter? I have pondered this for a while now and still can't make up my mind. I have a bit of equity, could clear my debts, be more comfortable but I do worry about affording the rent when I'm older.....any wise heads want to advise?

Well - personally - I probably tell myself regularly "Thank goodness I had the sense to buy when I had the chance".. I've never yet come across anyone who says "I wish I hadnt bought a place" - but I HAVE come across several people who say "I wish I'd never let go of owning my own place when I had it" or "I wish I hadnt passed up that good opportunity I had to buy my own place".

There is no security in rented accommodation - not in the private rented sector anyway. I would hate to be at the "mercy" of landlords...worrying whether they might put the rent up or sell the house over my head (not that I could afford house rental - or even flat rental - on my salary anyway in the area I live in......).

Re the State would help with the rent because of being a single mother - errr...I do have to state at the outset that I'm not a believer in asking for State help if it can be avoided personally. Right - having said that - I don't personally think its wise to make oneself dependant on State help anyway - because it's all too likely to be cut in the Age of Austerity a lot of the World is now entering (including Britain).

If you do "get off the property ladder" now - then how are you to retire later in life? (as you would still need a high enough income to be able to pay rent - as well as that necessary for bills/living on). The thought of being (or - to be more accurate - trying to become) a pensioner and still having to pay rent would turn my hair grey with worry (if it wasnt grey already).

BB1984

Hi all, hope you've had a good day. Sorry to hear about all the rain up north! I'm down south where we've had very little rain- hopefully we should get some in the next few days.

I'm struggling a bit today- have lots of worries and feel out of control of it all, which is a feeling I hate. There's somuch going on in my life at the moment that a feel like I don't have enough time for any of it! And I'm worried about how we'll manage on hubby's reduced salary from sept. We have a mortgage that we're trying to overpay as we hope to start a family next year and then money will be even tighter- I just find life so scary!

Sorry, I'll stop moaning now- I know I'm in a better position than many many other people so I musn't complain. I had home grown beans and salad for my tea- that made me v happy!

Night night everyone, sleep tight!

BB

taplady

just enjoyed catching up on the posts - this thread soon moves along!:D

Kidkat - thanks for the recipe for playdoh. I work with a lady with a learning disability who gets through loads of it so it will save her a fortune if we can make it:T

AnnieG - goodluck for your job interview x

littleowl

ceridwen wrote: »

Well - personally - I probably tell myself regularly "Thank goodness I had the sense to buy when I had the chance".. I've never yet come across anyone who says "I wish I hadnt bought a place" - but I HAVE come across several people who say "I wish I'd never let go of owning my own place when I had it" or "I wish I hadnt passed up that good opportunity I had to buy my own place".

There is no security in rented accommodation - not in the private rented sector anyway. I would hate to be at the "mercy" of landlords...worrying whether they might put the rent up or sell the house over my head (not that I could afford house rental - or even flat rental - on my salary anyway in the area I live in......).

Re the State would help with the rent because of being a single mother - errr...I do have to state at the outset that I'm not a believer in asking for State help if it can be avoided personally. Right - having said that - I don't personally think its wise to make oneself dependant on State help anyway - because it's all too likely to be cut in the Age of Austerity a lot of the World is now entering (including Britain).

If you do "get off the property ladder" now - then how are you to retire later in life? (as you would still need a high enough income to be able to pay rent - as well as that necessary for bills/living on). The thought of being (or - to be more accurate - trying to become) a pensioner and still having to pay rent would turn my hair grey with worry (if it wasnt grey already).

I am a pensioner - and I do have grey hair! I have moved around this country and 'owned' a total of 10 different houses. But in reality - you don't 'own' do you if you have a mortgage? You are renting from a building society or bank and your payments are at the whim of interest rate fluctuations/lenders' decisions. I remember well the 80s when mortgage rates went to a sky high 15% and many people were in negative equity. Where is the security in that? Interest rates will rise in the next few years - they have to - and those living to the max. on low rates are going to be in a difficult situation.
All I am saying is that the prevailing mood that 'owning' a property is the desirable thing to do is open to question. The house owning mantra should be at least questionable.